Aftermath
by Ren Hyuga-Hyogo
Summary: Vash defeats Knives, without killing him, and begins the battle to change Knives' heart with the help of Kiva Armstrong. Meryl and Milly are both dealing with a lot of their own things. Life on Gunsmoke is never easy, no matter how much you want peace. (On Hold for lack of plot, time, and inspiration. Sorry guys)
1. Chapter 1: Its Not Over Yet

**A/N: I do not own Trigun  
****I'm not sure I'll continue this... I'm just testing it.**

**Chapter One: It's Not Over Yet**

Meryl Stryfe, a 5'2" woman with short black hair and gray eyes sat on the front steps of the house she had been living in with her colleague. She and Milly, her colleague, had been there for 2 months. Meryl wore the same clothes she always had and kept her 'throw-away' pistols close by. She and Milly were waiting for him. "It's been 2 months already," She mumbled out loud, "how much time do you need, Vash? You aren't supposed to keep a good woman like me waiting." Meryl couldn't help it, she was depressed. A few days had turned into two months. She would be angry with him but she knew that Knives, his brother, wouldn't be making things easy. With a sigh Meryl pulled her knees up to her chest, trying to curl into a ball.

"He'll be here soon, I'm sure of it," a cheery voice called from behind her. Meryl turned her head to look at her friend. Milly Thompson stood 5'7" tall, 5 inches more than Meryl. Meryl's eyes met Milly's blue ones and she could see the hurt within them. Even with all the pain she still did her best to cheer Meryl up. Milly sat beside Meryl and placed her hands on her lap. Milly's long brown hair shined in the sun, it looked so pretty.

Meryl straightened out her legs and kept eye contact with Milly before stating, "Yeah, you're right. He gave his word. As soon as Knives is better he'll come get us and we'll all be happy." She didn't know that she believed the last part. Knives had done nothing but destroy humans and the mental health of his brother.

Milly was the person who broke eye contact first. Something was wrong, other than the fact that the man Milly loved was dead. Meryl couldn't read her. "When Mister Vash comes back," Milly said as she looked at the ground, "I don't think I'll be going with you two."

Meryl wasn't sure she heard right at first. "What," she said with a gasp, "What do you mean you won't be going with us? Of course you are why would you want to stay here?" Meryl couldn't process it, Milly had been by her side for so long. Meryl didn't want to live without Milly around. She wasn't always the smartest person but her smile and moments of genius were irreplaceable. She was the only friend Meryl truly had and without Milly, life would seem incomplete.

Milly fidgeted with her fingers slightly, as if nervous and trying to figure out how to piece her words together. "Well," Milly said quietly, her cheery tone completely gone, "Life around Mister Vash is usually dangerous. I hope that things will be calmer for him now, you said he seemed to like the idea of staying in one place, but what if trouble still follows him?" Meryl watched as Milly closed her blue eyes, still trying to piece things together. Meryl had the urge to interrupt, to tell her that it wouldn't be as dangerous and they'd all be fine, but she didn't. Milly exhaled slowly before saying, "I can't raise a baby like that."

Meryl was now sure she didn't hear that right. She felt all the color flush from her face. Milly looked like she was about to cry and that's when Meryl had her moment of clarity. Instead of getting mad she wrapped her arms around her friend's shoulders and told her, "That's great isn't it? I know Wolfwood isn't around but," Meryl's words trailed off as she watched the first tear fall from the corner of Milly's eye, "he's left something amazing behind. A baby Wolfwood." Meryl almost smiled, trying to picture the priest as a baby, but that quickly disappeared as Milly buried her face into Meryl's shoulder. "I'd really like for you to come with me," Meryl told her as she ran her fingers gently through Milly's brown locks. "I don't want you going through this alone. You're my friend and I will help you. Vash will want to help too, I'm sure of it."

Milly's tears soaked Meryl's cloak as she cried. Meryl had grown used to this, Milly had been through so much pain lately. Wolfwood had meant so much to Milly and he died so horribly. His death had really taken its toll on Milly. "What am I going to do," Milly asked between sobs. Meryl's heart was breaking all over again for her friend.

Meryl would never forget how her friend cried the day Wolfwood died. She ended up diving into work mining just to avoid thinking. "We'll get through this together, Milly," Meryl told her. Truth was Meryl wasn't sure how to handle the situation. Her friend was practically a widow and now she had found out she was pregnant with the man's baby. Meryl wondered how long Milly had known, how long she carried that weight without help. It didn't matter, Meryl would stick by her friend and knew that this was a good thing, even if this would be difficult.

Vash the Stampede sat straight up in his bed. The tall, very tall, man placed his hands over his green eyes, covering them to clear his head. His usually spikey blond hair was fairly flat from being asleep. His heart was racing, another nightmare about Legato. Vash had come to peace with himself over taking a life but it still haunted him. As soon as his heart returned to its normal pace, her turned and stared at the second bed in the room. His brother, Knives, was sleeping soundly.

So much had happened with Knives during the nearly two months since their showdown. Vash had told Meryl he'd only be gone a few days but that had turned out to be a lie. He had expected Knives to be hostile, a man didn't change overnight, but he had never imagined just how difficult Knives would be. Vash wanted to go back to Meryl, to live a quiet life for a change. He couldn't do that until Knives could behave. Things were getting better though, Knives' physical body was mostly recovered and Vash recovered well too, thanks to the woman who had found them.

_Vash was carrying Knives, he knew that he had to get Knives away from people. Vash walked with Knives as far as he could, but he was tired. They both were in pretty bad shape, Knives was worse off. Vash had just sat down to rest when he closed his eyes. He didn't know how much time had passed but when he opened his eyes he heard a soft voice asking, "Are you guys okay?"_

_Vash opened his eyes to see a short young woman, she was maybe 25. She had really long black hair, it wasn't as black as Meryl's though. She was really pretty, her skin was pale like porcelain. A smile formed on Vash's lips. A pretty girl was talking to him! He thought about flirting but then he thought of Meryl. She was too nice of a girl to do that to, he really was smitten with her. She was so much like Rem. Vash stared into the girl's pale gray eyes and told her, "We just stopped to get a little rest." _

_Vash watched her eyes move between Vash and Knives. She had a worried expression, not a good thing on such a pretty face. He watched her tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear as she spoke quietly, "My house isn't too far away. Your brother doesn't look so well." She paused, as if to think, and Vash watched her cheeks turn a soft pink. "I'm sorry," she told him softly, "I should introduce myself. I'm Kiva Armstrong." Vash watched the female's lips move, creating one of the gentlest smiles he had ever seen._

_"I'm Vash," he said calmly. He hated introducing himself, knowing this woman would probably want the sixty billion double dollars on his head now. He flashed a small smile at her and said, "This is my brother Knives." _

_Much to Vash's surprise, Kiva didn't freak out. He would have to be careful of this one. She was either stupid or planning something. "Knives," She repeated as she stared at his brother, "He seems like he needs medical care." She kept her gray eyes fixated on Knives. It was a strange site. "I'm a nurse. I could try to help him, i-if you want," she nervously bit her lower lip._

Since that time they had stayed with Kiva. She was a really kind person, even if Vash hadn't trusted her at first. He had been extremely skeptical, on the inside. Knives' breathing seemed peaceful. Vash now knew that Kiva had had no idea what she had gotten herself into. She had pulled back when she saw all the damage to Vash's body. She never once screamed though. Even though curiosity could be read all over her face, she never asked him about it. She never asked him about anything.

_When Knives woke up for the first time since their arrival, Kiva had been in the room alone with him. Vash was stretching his legs. Vash had heard Kiva scream and when he ran into the room he saw Knives holding Kiva two feet above the floor by her throat. "Let her go, Knives," Vash had shouted as he grabbed his brother's arm and forced Knives to release her._

_Kiva fell to her knees coughing, trying to regain her breath while she held her throat. "Stay out of it, Vash," Knives snapped, "I never want to hear that song again!" Hate was easy to read in Knives' eyes. _

_"You won't hurt her Knives, she's the one who's been taking care of us," Vash practically growled. He grabbed his brother by the collar of his shirt and punched him in the jaw hard. _

_When Knives smiled he pulled his hand back to do it again but this time two dainty hands grabbed his arm. He turned to look at their master, Kiva's eyes were watery as she stared up at him. "Please," her voice was raw, not nearly as pleasant as it had been before, "Please don't hurt him. It's my fault, I shouldn't have been humming that song. Please don't fight."_

_Vash was utterly confused. He released Knives, who started laughing and stared at the woman. "Kiva," he told her softly, trying to ignore his horrible brother's laughs, "Knives had no right to hurt you." _

_"I'm fine," she told him quickly. _

_Before Vash could respond to her she had let go of his arm and ran from the room. The door slammed closed and Knives' laughter faded. Vash looked at the floor. She had been changing the bandages on Knives' leg, they were all sprawled out. Vash picked them up and stared at his brother. "Don't you dare hurt her again," Vash told Knives, "bandage yourself." _

_Knives laughed again and caught the bandage roll as Vash threw it to him. "You're so weak," Knives told him, "still protecting humans I see." _

That's how things went. Knives was cruel to Kiva but she wouldn't let Vash hit him more than once. Knives would laugh and call him pathetic in some way. Several times he had made Kiva cry. There was no way Vash could bring his monstrous brother around the woman he loved…. He wanted more than anything to go back to Meryl… but Knives just couldn't behave. He had to make him change his views on humanity and he had an idea how, but it would take time.


	2. Chapter 2: Return

**A/N: So this chapter has been wrote out for a long while... but I wasn't ready to post it yet. I'm hoping I will continue this story, it'll be fun... but I also do not know that I will have the time and motivation. Next chapter will contain a lemon I think. That's what I've got it wrote as anyway. I'll give more heads up next chapter.**

**Chapter Two:**

Vash stood leaning against the wall outside the kitchen of Kiva's home. He had never minded being alone before. Now all he could think about was Meryl. He was afraid at this rate she'd believe that he wasn't ever coming back. She'd move on and he'd lose the woman he cared for most. He knew the two of them being together was illogical. He was a plant, she was a human. He'd live forever, she'd die in 50 years or so. Who would have thought that Vash the Stampede would want a romantic relationship with anyone?

Vash closed his green eyes and exhaled slowly, the sigh was nearly inaudible. From where he was, he could hear everything going on in the kitchen. Sounds of Kiva's humming were hard to miss. Knives would occasionally grunt, sounding like an animal, if she started humming a different song. She was stuck on replay. "Why do you have to hum all the time? You humans are annoying," Knives told her. His voice was as heartless as ever.

Vash wished the woman would get mad at Knives, show some backbone to him. For four months they had stayed with her. She never once got angry with Knives. There was something not-right with her. Kiva's humming stopped, Vash could almost hear the soft smile she was probably giving Knives. She was almost always smiling. Another thing that wasn't right with her. "I'm sorry that you find humans annoying," Kiva told Knives, it was the same thing she always said. Then she said something that threw Vash off guard, something new and totally different, "Why do you hate humans so much, Knives?"

Every muscle in Vash's body tightened and he peeked into the room. Knives placed his glass down slowly. Vash had no idea how Knives would react, he was ready in case he would become violent. Kiva had never once tried to pry into their private lives, this was new and he had to be ready for anything. Abruptly Knives began laughing. It was an evil laugh but Kiva didn't bat an eye. 'Something's really not right with her,' Vash thought.

Kiva placed her hands on the table across from Knives, leaning forward to stare into his eyes. His laughter stopped and there was a moment of pure silence. Vash had no idea what was going on, he thought for a moment that Knives' eyes lowered to the woman's chest, but he knew he had to have been imagining it. The look between them was bizarre at best. Once their eyes met they remained locked. Knives calmly told her, "Because humans are sentimental fools. They are selfish. They believe they are a superior breed of beast. The moment they feel the fear of knowing there is a breed more superior, they act merely on instinct. They are not superior. They are pathetic."

Vash watched Kiva take in his answer. She furrowed her brows slightly but it didn't last long. She walked around the table and sat next to him. She really was a short girl. Probably as short as Meryl, if not shorter. She looked like a child next to Knives, aside from her figure. Vash nearly held his breath, she was probably too close for Knives' liking. The day was full of surprises however. Kiva placed her right hand on Knives' left. Vash thought he saw Knives flinch. "I guess that means you are superior to me then," Kiva said so quietly Vash almost missed it. "I am sorry that you feel that way about humans," she paused for a moment then added, "about me." Vash could hear the slight tinge of hurt in her voice.

Knives pulled his hand away from hers as if she had burned him. Her whole body flinched when he did. Knives did nothing, said nothing. Vash was shocked beyond words. Knives didn't act angry that she had touched him, that she was so close, that she had spoken. Vash wondered if he was truly angry.

The truth of the matter is that Knives was broken. He had spent so much time hating humans because of being bullied that he didn't know what to do now that someone was nice to him. There really was something wrong with that girl.

Six months had now passed and Meryl had still not seen Vash. She kept herself occupied with work. She and Milly had quit working at the Bernadelli Insurance Company right after Vash left, so now she was working at a trading post. Milly had quite the baby bump growing and was past the point of being overly depressed. Meryl was happy for her friend, she now would have a piece of the man she loved forever. Milly's pregnancy was coming to an end; a new chapter was about to begin in their lives.

Meryl walked home from the post sluggishly. It had been a long day. She was tired, hungry, and ready to relax. She was about to open the front door when she heard Milly say, "Meryl should be home from work any time now." Meryl's heart skipped a beat. 'Who is she talking to,' Meryl asked herself.

Meryl entered the house and her jaw nearly dropped to the floor. Sitting in their living room was the sixty billion double dollar man. "Vash," she said his name quietly. She was afraid she was imagining this.

"Long time no see," he told her casually as he waved.

The tension in the room was thick. It seemed that neither of them knew what to do. Milly wished they'd just embrace, say they missed each other, and get on with it. Maybe it was her pregnancy but she was feeling quite impatient.

The silence was broken by Knives clearing his throat. He and Kiva were sitting beside Vash. Milly smiled and introduced them, "Meryl, this is Mister Vash's brother, Knives, and this is Kiva Armstrong. She's a nurse who took care of them." Knives' facial features resembled Vash's. His hair was a lighter shade of blond that he kept shorter than Vash and his eyes were blue.

A ping of jealousy hit Meryl. Another woman had been around Vash while she couldn't be. She was frightened to be around Knives as well. She knew he hated humans. "What the hell took you so long," Meryl asked Vash. She couldn't help but be angry, she didn't know how to express that she had been worried. "You said you wouldn't keep me waiting long," her voice cracked at the end. She crossed her arms over her chest, giving herself a hug for comfort. Meryl felt tears forming in the corners of her eyes.

"Oh Meryl," Milly said softly. She felt sorry for her friend.

"Knives is a real pain in the butt sometimes," Vash told her with a laugh. It was clear he was trying to lighten the mood. Knives wasn't amused. It was clear to anyone who was looking at him that he was angry and probably wished to hit his idiot brother. "Hey do you girls have anything to eat? I'm starving," Vash said as he flashed a cheeky smile and stood up.

Meryl wanted to hit him now too. She bit her tongue and went to the kitchen. Vash followed her while Knives, Kiva, and Milly remained in the living room. Meryl started grumbling while she grabbed some things from the cabinet. Vash approached her from behind and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. Meryl froze in place, her cheeks slowly tinting pink. "Vash," she said quietly, the tears she had been suppressing fell down her cheeks. He released her and she turned to face him. She threw her arms around his waist and buried her face into his chest. "Oh Vash," she cried softly.

Vash embraced her and whispered, "I'm sorry, Meryl. I didn't want to bring Knives here if he would hurt you. It took forever but Kiva seems to have gotten through to him better than I did. It just took a lot longer than I thought."

While Vash and Meryl made up in the kitchen Milly felt uncomfortable around Knives. His eyes screamed 'hate' as he looked around. The woman, Kiva, had been extremely quiet. Milly looked at Kiva and said, "Thanks for taking care of Mister Vash. Meryl really cares about him and was worried. I knew he'd come back to her though."

Milly's smile was met by a kind one from Kiva. "It was my pleasure. Vash is a very kind man," Kiva's words trailed off as she stole a glance at Knives who was sitting with his arms crossed. "I was wondering," Kiva questioned as she looked back to Milly, "When is your baby due? Have you been seeing a doctor? I don't mean to pry because it's truthfully none of my business, but I adore children and wish them the best."

Milly nodded and grinned, while responding "Oh yes, I've been doing everything I'm supposed to. Meryl wouldn't let me do anything less, not that I wouldn't do so myself. The baby is due in a few weeks." Milly rubbed her swollen baby bump with her hand and continued to smile.

If Milly had been paying more attention to Kiva, she'd of saw the same thing that Knives saw, a flash of envy within her eyes. Knives smirked to himself. He had something else to add to his dislike of this nurse. He couldn't wait for Vash to leave her alone with him. He had big plans for this woman. He was going to enjoy using her.

Milly was staring at the two of them. Something was strange between them. It was a bizarre tension that Milly had noticed between Vash and Meryl at one point. The tension was a little different though. There was so much hate within Knives that it couldn't possibly be the same. "Mister Knives," Milly's voice rang out in her cheery tone, "Are you happy to be here?"

Knives stared at the woman. 'Is she really so dim,' Knives asked himself. He wouldn't bother lying. He stared into her eyes as if he were staring straight into her soul. His voice was mirthless as he replied, "Humans are the exact opposite of happiness. I could never be happy around such pathetic creatures. All you worthless beings do is consume and destroy."

Milly's eyes didn't wavier. She was upset by his answer but was prepared for it. The way he spoke though, it was as if he was trying to convince himself of that. "Well," Milly stated cheerfully, "I hope you someday change your mind." Milly's smile was genuine even after Knives glared at her.


	3. Chapter 3: This Can't Be Happening

_A/N: So I enjoyed writing this chapter, I reallllly did. It has a LEMON! so beware of that. I feel like I may have rushed things but it's kind of important to the plot... so there's a method to my madness, promise! Honestly this is my first time ever writing a lemon... so i'm nervous about the way it turned out. Review would be adored... I am mostly writing this for myself, but it'd be awesome to receive feedback. If that happened I'd probably write more! _

**Chapter Three: This Can't Be Happening**

Meryl hadn't let Vash out of her site except to go to work and sleep for a whole week. He was feeling a little pressured but also content. He was used to being alone but the insurance girls changed that. Vash never left Knives alone either. Vash lay in bed, unable to sleep. It was strange, his brother's snoring never bothered him before. Vash reluctantly sat up, there was no point in laying there when he couldn't shut his mind off. He wondered if anyone else was still awake. He knew probably not. He slipped his shirt on and quietly stepped outside the bedroom door. The house was really too small for 5 soon to be 6 people living in it. It had two bedrooms. Kiva was sleeping on the couch and Meryl and Milly shared one room, Knives and Vash shared another.

Vash rubbed his eyes and listened to the voices from the living room. "Do you really think so, Miss Kiva," Milly said so quietly Vash could barely hear. He didn't hear Kiva's reply but hear Milly's next one, "It would be quite interesting." Vash heard Milly laugh and made his way into the living room. "Oh hello Mister Vash," Milly exclaimed cheerfully, "I hope we didn't wake you."

Vash shook his head and sat down in an arm chair, he really hated his long legs. The chair was so short and he looked like an adult sitting in a little kid's chair. He yawned and rubbed his forehead with his right hand. "Nah," he said quietly, "I just couldn't shut my mind off."

Vash watched as both women looked at him with worry. He smiled and laughed as he awkwardly rubbed the back of his head. "Hey don't worry about it girls, I'll sleep soon," he reassured them. "Kiva, if you want you could go sleep in my bed. Knives is snoring loudly so I don't think he'll be waking up any time soon. If he does just give a yell and I'll go straighten him out."

Vash watched as the color drained from Kiva's face. It only lasted a few seconds but it was clear. She really was quite afraid of Knives. Vash understood. Knives was constantly threatening to end her life. For some reason Vash just couldn't picture Knives doing it though. The way Knives stared at Kiva was deeper than just a hate for humanity. There was something more, even the blond idiot could see that. Kiva nodded and mumbled, "Goodnight," before she stood and went to Vash's room.

When Kiva was out of view Milly broke the silence, "Do you really think that's a good idea, Mister Vash? Mister Knives isn't very kind."

Vash looked at Milly and offered a small smile before adding, "Oh I know but I don't think he'd hurt her. I think my dear brother has a soft spot for that girl." He laughed and Milly stared at him confused. "He's had plenty of chances to kill her but he hasn't. Even when she slips up and does something he doesn't like, he hasn't done any serious damage to her. That's the reason I begged her to come with us. I'm hoping that she'll be able to get through to him."

Kiva looked around the darkened room as she quietly walked towards the empty bed. Vash had been right, Knives was snoring loudly. From a medical perspective that wasn't a good thing. It meant that he wasn't breathing properly. Kiva wanted to wake him up and have him change positions to free his airways, but she knew better. Knives was a cruel and heartless man and she enjoyed living.

Kiva undressed as quietly as she could, leaving only her bra and panties on. She had a door blocking her from everyone but Knives. She knew he wouldn't feel attraction and she was not embarrassed to be almost naked in front of him. A small part of her wished he would take an interest in her but she always pushed that piece of her heart away because she knew she deserved someone who would love her; Knives never would.

She was just about to get under Vash's covers when Knives suddenly stopped snoring. Kiva turned to look at the man only to find his eyes open and staring at her. "What are you doing," He hissed. Kiva didn't have time to answer before he was sitting up.

"I," she started, "I was going to bed. Vash wasn't able to sleep so he said I could sleep in his bed," She rushed through her explanation. She watched as his eyes looked over her body, she suppressed the urge to gulp. There was a strange, unfamiliar look in his eyes. He stood from the bed, his tall frame towering over her as she sat on Vash's bed. "W-what are you doing," she asked with a slight stutter as Knives gripped her shoulders with his hands.

He didn't answer her as he pulled her up, making her stand on the bed. Kiva's body trembled and she was about to shout for Vash when Knives' grip on her lessened. "Don't even think about it," He warned her, "I don't want Vash to interrupt me."

Kiva's body froze. She was terrified. She continued to tremble as Knives stared at her, their eyes were now at the same level since she was standing on the bed. Knives released his light grip on her shoulders and his calloused fingers softly glided down her arms to her hands. It was enough to make her blush and shiver all at the same time. She had never known Knives to do anything gently. He grabbed her hands and placed them on his broad shoulders, their eyes locked.

Kiva was so confused. She had no idea what was going on. Knives hated her but he was letting -no, _making_\- her touch him. Kiva internally shuddered as he placed his hands on her slim waist. 'Maybe I should have stayed dressed after all,' she told herself. Knives pulled her close, making his body press against hers. Kiva's whole face turned as red as a strawberry. "Kn-Knives," she asked as he buried his face into the crook of her neck.

This was too much for Kiva. She liked this man for some unknown reason so she was on cloud 9. Logic told her that this shouldn't be happening at all, he hated her. He hated everything about all humans. She tried to fight the desire she had, she tried to side with logic. All reasoning flew out the window when he pressed his chapped lips against her neck and kissed it roughly. If her hands hadn't been on his shoulders she would have melted into a big puddle right on the bed. 'This can't be happening,' she thought

Knives smirked a little but Kiva couldn't see it. She had her eyes closed and her breathing was shallow. 'Humans are too easy to get worked up,' Knives thought. He slipped his right hand up from her waist to the lacy fabric of her bra. She flinched a little but that didn't bother him, he got great pleasure out of knowing she feared him. Knives gripped her breast roughly, it filled his hand nicely without being too much. 'It's as if she were made to be mine,' Knives thought but then corrected himself, 'No, she's just the perfect pawn.'

Knives let his fingers slip into the fabric and found her hardened nipple. He couldn't help but smirk; this was too easy. He felt her body tense up and she attempted to pull away. He wouldn't allow that. Instead he wrapped both arms around her waist and lifted her from the bed. He heard her gasp and she tried to free herself but Knives was too strong. Without difficulty he pinned her to his bed and pressed his body against hers. She was so small compared to him, he suddenly questioned if she'd survive what he planned to do to her. He told himself he didn't care.

Knives leaned up enough to unclasp her bra. He was fortunate that it fastened in the front. He smirked as Kiva quickly placed her hands over her chest. "It's adorable that you think you can hide them from me," He told her in a husky voice. He grabbed her hands and pinned them above her head with one hand then used the other to pinch and pull at one of her hardened buds.

He was so caught up in his own fun that he didn't even notice that Kiva started relaxing underneath him. She had never been touched by a man before and her body was so sensitive. She panted slightly, her whole body starting to get hot. She had been turned on before, this wasn't new, but it was new to feel something hard pressing against her thigh. She gasped slightly when he leaned down and flicked his tongue against one of her buds. She wished he would free one of her hands so that she could cover her mouth. She didn't want to moan for him, she wouldn't give him that pleasure.

Knives' mouth was hot as he sucked on her nipple, she felt a familiar warmth forming between her legs, feeling like fire in her core. She knew that she was becoming moist. 'This is so embarrassing,' she thought. Her cheeks were tinted pink and she had to bite the inside of her lower lip to keep from moaning. She only closed her eyes for a moment when Knives pulled away from her. When she opened them she had expected to see him angry, instead they were both fully naked.

She opened her mouth to speak but Knives placed his free hand over her mouth and told her, "Be a good human and stay quiet. I would hate to have Vash ruin our fun." The twisted smile he gave her was enough to make her shiver. She was attracted to a demon.

Knives moved his hand from her mouth and grabbed hold of his manhood, the very thing he had felt no need for so long. He didn't know if a plant and a human could create life together but he certainly hoped so. He needed this to work for his plans. He positioned himself between her hips and watched fear flash through her. "Please be gentle Knives," She whispered. It was clear she had given up fighting him. He didn't like being bossed around so he glared at her. He was going to be as rough with her as he wanted, he would ravage her. "It's my first time," She practically cried.

Guilt. Knives felt guilt. Truth was it was his first time too. He had studied humans long enough to know that this was a big deal to them. She was nearly in tears so he informed her, "I will, at least until you're comfortable." He rubbed the tip of his erection against her unplucked flower. She was really quite wet, it was interesting and intoxicating. He slowly pressed himself between the folds and entered her.

He didn't have to push far before he felt a barrier. He released Kiva's arms and she wrapped them around his shoulders. He impatiently waited for her to nod, when she finally did he pushed deeper, breaking the barrier. He watched her face twist into an expression of pain. He didn't stop though, he pressed all of himself into her, reaching as deep as he possibly could. The time that passed was agonizing. Her wet walls hugged his erect manhood tighter than he ever imagined. He wanted to move but, for some reason he didn't understand, he couldn't. 'Why do I care if I hurt her,' he asked himself.

Kiva bit the inside of her lip, she could feel the blood pooling underneath her buttocks as it trickled from inside her now plucked flower. She had fought the urge to cry, fought the urge to push him from her. It hurt worse than she ever imagined. She wondered if that was due to his size. He remained perfectly still within her, waiting for her to give him the okay. It was a strange site, she didn't understand this man at all. She decided that she wanted this to be done right, so reluctantly Kiva lifted her head and pressed her soft lips against his chapped ones.

It didn't even take him a second to return her kiss. The kiss became passionate, heated, and heavy. He couldn't take it any longer, he had to move. He rocked his hips backwards, pulling his erection almost completely out of his pawn, then rocked them forward slowly as he pushed himself back inside her. He felt her moan softly against his lips. He took the opportunity to slip his tongue into her mouth. She dueled his tongue well as he continued to move his erection in and out of her at that painfully slow speed.

Kiva's pain had mostly subsided and she was filled with pleasure. It was intense despite being so slow. It was unbelievable and she found she was having a very hard time keeping quiet. Knives broke their kiss and muttered something she couldn't understand. He started picking up speed with his thrusts, it was driving her wild. She allowed her hands to glide along the hard lines of his muscular arms. She couldn't believe this was happening, or that it had felt so good.

The faster he moved the harder it was to keep quiet. His manhood was rubbing all the right places of her womanhood. She didn't understand how she could be so pleasured by a man who hated her. She started to panic a little because he could kill her at any moment, she was so vulnerable like this. She couldn't focus on those feelings. 'If he kills me, I'll die happy,' she told herself.

Kiva buried her face into Knives' shoulder to keep from moaning to loudly as things got even more intense. "Kn-Knives," She whispered against his skin, "I-I'm going to," She didn't finish her sentence. It was just too embarrassing to tell _him_ she was going to climax. She didn't want to give _him_ that satisfaction.

"Me too," Knives told her, his voice sounding so much different. It was sexy. What he said didn't register in her mind at first. She felt a ripple of pleasure surge through her entire body and she wasn't in control of it. Every muscle in her body tightened, including the ones in her newly plucked flower. She arched her back and started to moan out louder than she should have. Knives quickly silenced her with a kiss, a deep passionate kiss.

As he kissed her she felt him tighten up. It dawned on her then what he had said. He had been reaching his climax too. She gasped against his lips as she felt hot semen shoot deep within her. It felt like lava pooling inside her but in a pleasurable way. All motion stopped. Neither dared to move. Kiva was so confused about what had just happened and was afraid of what would happen now.

It felt like an eternity passed and all they did was stare at each other. Knives didn't pull himself off of her, he didn't even pull himself out of her. This was nothing like she imagined her first time. This wasn't for love because Knives didn't love her. She didn't think she loved Knives either. She hoped she didn't, anyway. He was the one who broke the uncomfortable silence by saying, "Now you are forever mine."

Kiva was sure she didn't hear him right but she didn't dare question him. All Kiva could do was nod, she had no say in the matter and she had no idea what he had meant by it. She was afraid to know what he meant by it. After she nodded he pulled himself out and off of her and laid on his back beside her. She started to get up, knowing he hated being close to her, but he grabbed her wrist. The look her gave her screamed 'You aren't going anywhere' so she laid back down beside him. It took all that she had to fall asleep that night. He didn't hold her or make her feel loved, she knew he wouldn't. Sleep was so hard to come by that night.


	4. Chapter 4: A Rose By Any Other Name

**A/N: Okay... so I'm not 100% thrilled with this chapter. For the time being this story is on the back burner to All Or Nothing (It's for the Naruto fandom) I hate leaving it unfinished (and I will be finishing it later) but for now it's doing to remain incomplete. Sorry to do this. I just can't focus on two at once... and my muse is with All Or Nothing. I do promise I will update Aftermath when I get the drive to do so... right now that just isn't it. I'm so sorry! Gomenasai!**

**Chapter Four: A Rose By Any Other Name **

Knives began to stir as sunlight peeked through the curtain that covered the only window in the room. He really loathed that the window was on the east side of the house. He turned onto his side so that his back was to the window. His hand brushed against something warm and fleshy in the motion. He opened his eyes and saw that Kiva was still in his bed. She had her back to him so he couldn't see her face. A strange sensation came over him in his half-groggy state. He acted on the impulse instead of dismissing it. He carefully scooted his body closer to hers, she was nearly on the edge of the bed.

Without a thought Knives draped his arm around her waist and pulled her close. He buried his face into her long dark hair and inhaled its scent. She always smelled of jasmine, he was now aware that it was her shampoo. He closed his eyes, taking in the feeling of her against him; they were still naked from their rendezvous. Her skin was so soft and her hair was so pretty. Knives had no idea why he was thinking such things about the object he had decided to use against his brother. Things weren't right with him now, it was like he wasn't himself and he hated it.

There was a knock at the door and his eyes flew open. He felt Kiva start to stir next to him and he quickly climbed over her and off the bed. "Go away Vash," Knives said as he searched for his pants, hoping that Vash would stay outside there with the door between them to argue.

"Um, actually it's Meryl," Meryl's voice called through the door. Knives relaxed a little, no way would the girl walk in without his okay. She feared him too much.

Knives groaned loud enough for Meryl to hear, a small smirk actually donning his face. He wanted her to believe he was still half asleep and annoyed. He _was_ annoyed but also amused. He watched as Kiva quickly redressed herself. They shared a look, one of understanding. Kiva climbed into Vash's bed and laid down, pretending to sleep. Knives turned and looked at his bed.

There was blood on his sheets as well as other fluids. He smirked again and covered them with his blanket. He wasn't wanting his brother to know of what he had done yet. His brother wouldn't see the genius in his plans, so he was going to hide it. Knives stomped his way over to the door, his expression changing from amused to irritate in quite a hurry. He opened the door and stared at the short little brunette. "What is it," he muttered harshly. It wasn't difficult for Knives to find his cruel-groove again.

Meryl looked at him for too long and he sneered at her which caused her to flinch. He really did love the fear all these women had of him. "I just came to get Kiva," Meryl told him in a hushed tone. Her facial expression showed a seriousness that Knives didn't want to mess with. He stepped aside and watched as Meryl entered the room. She didn't seem to be observing anything, she just seemed focused on Kiva. "Kiva," Meryl called to his pawn as she shook her shoulder.

He watched in amusement as Kiva acted as if she were waking up. Her fear of him was overly amusing, she feared him so much that she went out of her way to please him and do what he said. It was just too perfect. Knives stopped paying attention at that point.

He made his way over to his bed and laid on top of the covers, still not wishing to show his cards just yet. Getting the sheets clean would be child's play today. Milly, Meryl, and Kiva were going out. That left just Knives and Vash home alone. Knives didn't desire to do laundry but he couldn't very well leave evidence of Kiva's deflowering on his bed. It was unhygienic.

It wasn't until Kiva and Meryl had left the room that he got up from the bed. He immediately began pulling the sheet from the mattress and regretted it just as suddenly. There was a smell of dried blood and sexual fluids but along with it came the scent of Kiva. She always smelled like jasmine and he loved it. He told himself otherwise but the scent was intoxicating. He decided he'd strip Vash's bed too, the smell of her had to go.

* * *

Kiva had showered as quickly as she could and then was rushed out the door with Meryl and Milly. Milly was due at any time so both of her companions were on edge about being out walking around. Kiva was the most on edge. She knew exercise could be a really great thing for pregnancy but it could also bring unnecessary pain. The girls went about their business at a snail's pace. Meryl spent her time practically running circles around Milly, a strange reversal of roles for the duo.

Their last stop was by far the most interesting. The three of them were standing in front of a wooden desk with a fat balding man behind it. "Mr. Mayor," Meryl addressed him to grab his attention from the paperwork on his desk. "I'm Meryl Stryfe, this is Milly Thompson, and Kiva Armstrong." Meryl indicated which woman was which with her hands as she spoke. "My friend Milly would like to change her name to her married name. Her husband died shortly after they were married and with all of the obstacles we faced to get here, we had lost the documentation of the marriage."

This was a lie. There had been no marriage and so there were no papers to lose. Kiva was just very good at forging them. "I came across the paperwork when I was traveling and fortunately came across friends of Miss Thompson's by accident," Kiva lied.

The mayor took the paperwork from Kiva and studied it for a long time. "Everything seems to be in order," he said after a long wait, "I'll fill out the necessary paperwork, please have a seat."

The three of them sat down in the arm chairs. Milly rubbed her swollen belly, Meryl knotted her fingers together, and Kiva merely watched the man fill out the paperwork. When he was finished he slid a page towards Milly and handed her a pen. She took a deep breath and quickly signed the document as "Milly Thompson". The mayor made a copy of every paper and handed the copies to Milly. "There you are Mrs. Wolfwood. Have a nice day."

The three women were nearly out of the door when the mayor called out, "Miss Stryfe?" Meryl stopped and looked at the man. He didn't give her time to question him. "I hear there are two men now living with you as well as Miss Armstrong. I was curious if, by chance, either of the men knew how to shoot a gun?"

Meryl's stomach flip flopped and she thought she may throw up. Both men were master gunmen. Both men could take down countless enemies. She settled for being honest, "Neither of them owns a gun, Mr. Mayor." She hoped that would hint that they don't know how.

"Such a shame. It'd be nice to win some money in the regional gun tournament, with the baby coming and all. I hate knowing to hard working women like yourselves are struggling." He picked up a flyer and handed it to Meryl.

She gripped it lightly and said, "Thank you for your concern. We'll get through it." Then she left without giving him a chance to intrude further into her life.

* * *

"Who does that guy think he is," Meryl asked as she stuffed a morsal of meat into her mouth. "We're trying to have a calm peaceful life. So the house is too small for all of us. So sometimes we have to stretch our food rations a little. People do that. It's not like we're any different than our neighbors or half the town."

"You don't think he knows who Mr. Vash is, do you, Meryl," Milly asked sweetly. She was eating much slower because she wasn't feeling well. She felt like the baby was pushing her insides all over the place. Maybe the baby was.

"No, of course not. Vash has been very careful. He's not touched a gun since he defeated Knives."

"Will you be showing him the flyer then," Kiva asked quietly. She wasn't sure what exactly happened in the past. She preferred being in the dark. It made life less complicated. She had enough things on her mind right now, she didn't need anything else added to it.

"I don't plan to. I know he'd at least consider it, gun or not. I don't want history to keep repeating. I like living in this town. We can't really move now anyway. Not with the baby almost here," Meryl stopped talking to place her hand on Milly's belly and tell it, "You need stability don't you, Baby Wolfwood."

Kiva and Milly both smiled. Kiva was happy she had met Vash. She wasn't sure she was happy about meeting Knives. She was really happy to know these two though. They were worth any heartache Knives could cause her. "Then we'll burn the flyer and pretend we know nothing about it," Kiva said quietly.

Milly and Meryl stared at her for a few minutes. The silence was awkward and slightly intimidating. Kiva shifted her foot under the table. Milly broke the silence, "It's a good plan as long as they don't start hanging those all over the place."

"That's true," Meryl muttered. "Well, we'll just have to do our best to keep him out of that stupid competition."

"Agreed," Kiva said.

"Okie dokie," Milly said with a smile.

* * *

"Hey Knives," Vash called to his brother who was now hanging bedding out on the clothes line. "It's not like you to do laundry, what's up?"

"It all smelled like Kiva," Knives' nose crinkled and he scowled.

"Why don't you like her that much," Vash asked while stuffing a donut into his mouth. "She's a real sweet girl and she likes you," Vash said with his mouth full.

"She's a human, that's enough reason for me not to like her."

Vash sighed and went back into the house. Knives followed him. "Did you see this," Vash asked as he held up a flyer for the gun tournament. "I'm just waiting on one of the girls to bring it up. I'm not doing it. No way. Last time Wolfwood dragged me into one it was bad news."

Knives took the flyer and stared at it for a moment. He crumpled it and threw it in the wastebasket. "We don't need the money. It's a waste of time. We would kill them all so easily, it wouldn't be worth the effort."

Vash frowned. His brother really needed to get over this hate of humans. It wasn't amusing or fun. He worked so hard and it felt like he was getting nowhere. He offered Knives a doughnut, which he actually took and bit into. They may be quite different in many ways, but they both loved doughnuts.

Meryl came storming through the front door. She looked like she had seen a ghost or something. "Milly's in labor," Meryl shouted. She was not composed at all. "She's going to have the baby!"

Vash looked at Knives who seemed unbothered. He grabbed his arm and said "C'mon we need to get to the hospital. "


	5. Chapter 5: Hello Baby

**Chapter Five: Hello Baby**

Seconds turned to minutes. Minutes turned to hours. Hours turned to even more hours. Kiva, Vash, and Knives were all three sitting in the waiting room of the hospital. Knives didn't want to be there at all. Vash hadn't given him a choice. He glanced over at Kiva. She was sleeping with her head on Vash's shoulder and his head was on hers. They were both out like a light. Knives was furious. How dare they act so cozy together? She was _his property_. Vash had no right to provide her with enough comfort for slumber. His fingers twitched at his belt as he remembered that the gun was not there. How he missed his angel arm revolver. Damn his brother for ruining everything!

He glared at Kiva. She was just as terrible. She acted like she cared about everyone and everything but he knew that she too saw herself as a superior being. Knives scoffed. Humanity was a plague and she was no exception. Why had he decided to include one in his plans to ruin his brother? He growled low in his throat. He knew that he had chosen her because she was there. She was simply a human pawn for him, something to lure Vash into false security that Knives was changing.

All humans were horrible. He hated them so much. The whole reason he was in this rinky-dink hospital was because of two worthless humans. They couldn't control their urges and so here he was waiting for the birth of one of those vile beings. He stood up. He couldn't sit there another minute, waiting for the arrival of a human he was already certain he would hate as much as the rest. He could possibly mold this new child to what humanity should be but what good would that do? With any fortune he would have a half-plant in the works. That child would be much more powerful, it would be worth it. He really hoped that, because he was given male gentiles, he was able to reproduce.

Knives was almost past Vash when his brother's hand gripped his wrist. "So you were not asleep," Knives muttered. He looked down at his brother in disgust. "I cannot continue to sit here doing nothing," Knives snarled.

Vash sat up straighter, keeping his grip on his brother's wrist tight. Knives, though he was snarling, did not try to pull away. Kiva's eyes shot open at Vash's sudden movement and she looked between the two. She didn't understand Knives. Yes he was cold, cruel, and arrogant… but he had been so gentle with her. How could he be that man when they were alone together and a monster now? The look he was giving his brother was so harsh. Vash released Knives and he shook his arm as if he had been burned.

Before anyone could say anything Meryl stepped out from behind a closed door. "The baby's here," Meryl said with a raspy voice. She looked like she could cry at any moment and Vash was by her side with his arms around her in a flash. "Come see them," Meryl requested while looking at Kiva and Knives.

Kiva nodded and Knives rolled his eyes. Vash followed Meryl into the room and Kiva had to slip her arm around Knives' to get him to even move. He was reluctant but caved when Kiva looked up at him with hope in her eyes. He would have scowled if it was anyone else. What the hell was happening to him?

The room was fairly small. It was like a room at an inn or a small house, Knives couldn't decide which one was a better description. Milly lay on the bed with a white bundle in her arms. She looked exhausted and not attractive at all. Her hair was a mess and she had dark circles under her eyes. He noticed that she had tear streaked down her cheeks and her lips were red as well. He glanced at Kiva who was still on his arm and was suddenly thankful he had chosen her and not someone else. At least she always looked pretty.

"Hey," Milly said weakly to the four of them, "Isn't she beautiful?"

Kiva released Knives to step closer to the bed. Knives and Vash unconsciously found themselves with their backs against the far wall. They could hear a few small noises that sounded quite slobbery. Neither wanted to be near that. Kiva leaned closer to the baby and her face lit up. It was awkward to watch. One moment the girl had seemed so drained of energy, the next she was smiling and her eyes were practically sparkling. "Hello there," Kiva said softly.

From where they were the newborn looked like an alien. Her skin was splotchy red and her head was misshaped. She was also very chunky. Knives wondered if they had even cleaned the creature. Vash was instantly in love. He would protect his best friend's daughter with every ounce of his being. Heaven help any boys in the future who would come courting her.

"Have you decided what you'll name her," Meryl asked from beside Kiva. Her face had the same glow with the same smile as Kiva. It left both men perplexed. Women, they both decided at the same time, were crazy about babies.

"Nichole Darcy Wolfwood," Milly said with a sad smile. She handed Nichole to Meryl and Meryl's face went pale. She was afraid she would drop her or something equally as bad. Kiva helped her into the one chair in the room and the two of them cooed over the baby.

"I love her so much already," Meryl said with tears in her eyes as she stared at Nichole.

"Me too," Milly said with a nod. She too began to cry.

"I do as well," Kiva sniffled.

All three were crying happy tears. Vash and Knives simply looked at each other. "Women," Vash whispered with a light-hearted laugh. It was met by a scowl by Knives.

* * *

Vash, Knives, Nichole, and Kiva were sitting in the living room looking like zombies. No one had slept much in the month that Nichole had been home. Milly was currently taking a shower and Kiva was rocking Nichole who was so fussy. The lullaby being sung was doing nothing to placate the infant. She was hungry and nothing else would do to calm her. "I can't take it anymore," Knives grunted as he stood to retreat into his room. This house was proving to be much too small.

"VASH," Meryl shouted from the kitchen.

Kiva and Vash stared at Knives' retreating form. "Coming," Vash called to Meryl as he stood up. "Be right back, hopefully with a bottle," Vash said with a laugh. Even though he was exhausted he kept his light-hearted attitude. He had to. Everyone else was getting moody.

He disappeared into the kitchen to see Meryl slumped over the counter with her face in her hands. Hot water was running in the sink next to her and her appearance was disheveled. Her short black hair was sticking up all over the place, she had bags under her eyes (like everyone else), and her white clothes were stained with various bodily fluids. She was absolutely miserable. She didn't look up at him when he walked in and he knew he should say something but didn't. "I can't keep doing this," Meryl whispered.

Vash's heart broke for her. She was miserable. He needed to comfort her, to make it okay. He walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her from behind. She turned and hid her face against his chest. "It'll be okay. She's already starting to sleep longer. Soon everything will be easy and we'll look back at this and laugh," He said kindly as he rubbed her back.

"I know," Meryl's voice was muffled against his chest, "I just go to work without sleep then come home and don't get sleep. We need a bigger house. I just can't keep doing this."

Vash knew where this was going. It was the same place it always went. He hoped to nip it in the bud so he told her, "I'm looking for a job, Knives is too. It's just rough since our only skills are with a revolver. Unlike you and Milly we can't seem to get a job doing whatever we set our minds to. I'll look harder, promise. We'll get a house where ever you want."

Meryl smiled against his chest and nodded as she pulled away. "Okay," She said weakly. She grabbed the bottle she had prepared and held the glass bottle under the water stream for a few minutes. Vash watched her intently. She was so beautiful with such a kind heart. He'd have to keep his word and look even harder. The gun tournament had been forbidden despite the fact that it would've been easy money. It was a pity but Vash didn't mind not having a gun. It wasn't like people kept coming after him now. Few people knew who he even was now. Vash the Stampede, the Humanoid Typhoon, turned into just Vash. No red coat and no large weapon. He couldn't do much about the Mohawk aside from letting it grow out, which he was doing, and his height was impossible to change. "Here you check it," Meryl said as she shook the bottle in her hand.

She was yawning when he took the bottle and exposed his wrist. She turned off the water and watched him through half-lidded eyes. He let a few drops drop onto his skin and whined, "Owwww you let it get too hottttt." He quickly turned on the cold water and put his wrist and the bottle under the cold stream.

"Oh I'm sorry," Meryl snapped, "I fell asleep on my feet while you were busy staring off into space!" She stormed out of the kitchen and out of his line of sight.

Vash sighed and checked the bottle again. It was just right now. What was he supposed to do? He hadn't had any of the pleasure of making little Nichole but Meryl always seemed to make everything his fault anyway. He sulked into the living room and handed Kiva the bottle. She checked it on her on wrist before putting the nipple up to Nichole's lips. The baby latched on eagerly and began sucking down her dinner. "What's the matter? Don't you trust me," Vash asked with a chuckle. He didn't really want to give her a chance to ask what happened with Meryl.

"I do, it's just a habit now to check it myself. Sorry Vash," Kiva said weakly. He sat down beside her and leaned close to stare at Nichole. She had Milly's blue eyes but everything else screamed 'Wolfwood'. "Hey Vash," Kiva whispered. He looked up at her and tilted his head to the side. "Do you think you and Meryl will ever have children? I mean, sure your relationship is strange but you two love each other. Do you ever imagine getting' married and having kids?"

Vash stared into Kiva's pale gray eyes. "That's a 60 billion double dollar question," Vash said with a laugh. "Maybe someday when things aren't so rough. What about you? Do you think you'll fall in love, get married, and have kids?"

He watched Kiva bit her lip and her eyes left his to stare into Nichole's. "Maybe not in that order," She murmured.

Vash's brows furrowed. "What's that supposed to mean," he asked.

"Things don't always go as you plan," Kiva said with a sad smile. Vash really didn't know what to say. What could you say in that situation? Lately he was feeling all kinds of confused. Maybe he and Knives were surrounded by too many women. Kiva's voice pulled him from his thoughts. "Can you take her," she asked lowly as she held the baby out for him.

He nodded and cheerfully said, "Sure thing." He held Nichole in his arm, careful not to pull the bottle from her mouth as they switched keepers. He barely had Nichole rested against his chest when Kiva stood up and ran to the kitchen. Vash's brows furrowed again as soon as he heard her throwing up. He stood carefully and walked to the doorway. "You okay," He asked, his concern genuine. He didn't get a response because as soon as she had started to straighten up she turned green and dropped her head back down. He winced. It sounded quite painful. "I'll go get help," He called over his shoulder as he walked back to the living room.

Meryl's door was closed and he didn't want to bother her until she cooled down. Milly was still singing behind the bathroom door. That left Knives. Vash frowned and kicked the bedroom door lightly with his foot since his hands were occupied with Nichole. Knives opened the door glaring. Vash didn't give him a chance to say anything. He quickly stated, "Kiva needs help in the kitchen. Everyone else is busy."

Knives muttered under his breath and stepped around his brother to enter the kitchen. When she came into view he could see snot oozing out of her nose, tears running down her cheeks, and saliva on her lips. She looked awful; still like a doll, but a gross one. He crossed his arms. "Pathetic. What is it you require help with," He asked. She didn't answer. She couldn't but he didn't know that. "Idiotic creature. You ask for help then," He was interrupted by her vomiting into the trashcan. He rolled his eyes and was about to comment about how weak humans were… but then his stomach clinched and he found himself rushing to the sink, barely making it in time to throw up within it and not on the floor.

Vash stood in the doorway shaking his head. "He's hopeless," he whispered to Nichole. She smiled from behind the bottle then went back to sucking on the bottle.

"Vash? What's going on," Milly asked from behind him. Her brown hair was still damp, Vash noticed when he turned to look at her. His height had successfully blocked her view of the two puke buddies.

"Kiva and Knives seem to be sick. I'm gonna need to help the two of them into a bed," he said with an exasperated sigh.

Milly nodded and took Nichole from him. She started cooing to Nichole as she walked away. It was best not to get involved with that.

"You good now," Vash asked Kiva after she had finished wiping her eyes and mouth. She was in the process of blowing her nose. She looked up at him and nodded, threw away the tissue, then let Vash wrap his arm around her to help her to bed. "I'll be right back for you," He muttered to Knives.

* * *

**Ren Note:** Hey all... So I know this is a random update day... but... I actually sat down and wrote today. I was having some issues with writers block for this story... and I'm really unhappy with my lengths and lack of descriptions... and feel like I'm just not producing a good story with this one... I've ran into a slight writers block with All or Nothing (My Naruto fanfic) so I decided to come back to this one. I may write Chapter Six soon... we'll see how everything plays out. It depends on how everything goes... tomorrow's my birthday so it'll be busy :( I also need to have Chapter Nine for All or Nothing ready by next Tuesday... work work work!


	6. Chapter 6: Housewife Blues

**Chapter Six:**

"Of all the jobs you could have gotten us," Knives scowled at Vash, "_This_ is the one you went with? This is degrading and a waste of my life."

"It's not so bad. You'll see, we'll get to help people," Vash said with a grin.

"Help people? I live to destroy these insufferable creatures," Knives spat.

"And here I thought you were warming up to people," Vash mused as he patted his brother's back, "You sure seem to like Kiva."

Knives rolled his eyes and pulled his brother's hand from his person. "Let's get this over with," Knives muttered as he opened the door causing a small bell to ring out.

The two of them stepped into the café in silence. It was fairly small with only about ten tables. There was a counter to seat five more people making the total seating a whapping 45. It was plenty for the small town they lived in. From a door labeled 'Kitchen' a woman in her 30s appeared. She had brown hair and eyes, a small scar under her left eye, and dipoles when she smiled. "Hello Vash, Knives, welcome. C'mon in and we'll get started," She said softly.

"Sure thing Miss Ariel," Vash said with a grin.

They both followed Ariel into the kitchen. Knives was busy scowling while Vash was excited. It was going to be a long day.

* * *

"Soooo.. On the first evening a pebble from somewhere out of nowhere drops upon the dreaming world," Kiva sang to Nichole who's eyelids were heavy. Kiva was sitting in a chair rocking the three month old. It didn't take her long to fall asleep.

"Thank you so much Miss Kiva," Milly said softly, "She just wouldn't go to sleep for me. I don't know what I'd do without you."

"It's no big deal. I really like helping you with her. I'd love to have a family of my own someday," Kiva said gently.

"Well then why don't you? You and Mister Knives seem to get along well enough and I think he loves you," Milly whispered as she took Nichole from Kiva's hands.

Kiva waited for Milly to take Nichole into her bedroom and put the infant in her crib. She chewed on her lip and thought while she waited. Knives didn't love her. She wasn't stupid, he told her that countless times with his actions. She was just a plaything to him. She rubbed her eyes. She really needed away from that man.

"Hey," Meryl called out cheerily as she came in the door. She had just finished working and came in looking fairly tired. They had been getting a lot more sleep lately but it still wasn't enough.

Kiva was pulled out of her thoughts and smiled at Meryl. "How was work," she asked kindly.

"Oh, y'know, same as every other day," Meryl said with a small laugh. "How were things around here?"

"The same. Milly and I just got Nichole to sleep and she's tucking her in right now. There's soup on the stove for dinner. I hope you're hungry, we made more than we meant to. I guess we were in such a good mood with Nichole sleeping all night last night that we decided to celebrate," Kiva said with a smile.

"That's great, I'm starving. Have Knives and Vash came home yet," Meryl asked as she took off her cloak and shoes.

"No, not yet. They were supposed to stop by the grocery after work and pick up a few things," Kiva replied.

Milly came out of her room and closed the door as quietly as possible. "Oh hey Meryl, welcome home. How was work?"

Meryl nearly sighed. She felt like she was coming home to two wives and they both always asked the same question. "It was great," Meryl said with a forced smile.

"That's great. We made lots of soup so I hope you're hungry," Milly said cheerfully.

Meryl nodded and continued her fake smile. She glanced at Kiva who was rubbing her temples. This was Meryl's life every day. She wasn't sure if she really liked it. "I'm going to go take a shower," Meryl said quietly.

She disappeared behind the bathroom door and Milly looked at Kiva. "What's her problem," She asked softly.

"Not a clue," Kiva said tenderly, "I'm going to go check on the soup."

As Kiva stood up Milly said, "Okay. I'm going to clean up in here."

Kiva disappeared into the kitchen while Milly began picking up the living room.

Kiva heard the front door open and close but continued what she was doing. She took a small bite of the soup and grabbed the pepper to season it a little better. "Hey Kiva," Vash said as he placed two bags on the counter next to her.

"Oh, hi Vash. How was work," Kiva asked sweetly.

"You know, Milly just asked the same thing. It was alright. My feet are killing me but other than that it was great. Knives only threatened one customer today. I think he's really making progress in not hating humanity."

_"Yeah right,"_ Kiva thought but didn't say it. "That's really great Vash. Dinner's almost ready," She told him.

"Yeah it is. Soon I won't have to keep such a close eye on him. I'll leave you to this then," Vash motioned to the grocery bags. She nodded and he left the kitchen.

Kiva busied herself with putting away the groceries. She was humming softly to herself while bending over to put some soap into the cabinet under the sink when she felt two large hands on her hips. She stood up and the hands moved to encircle her waist. She looked up with a frown and said, "Hello Knives."

"Kiva," he grunted.

"I've still got some things to put away," She whispered, "Could you let me go?"

He dipped his head down and buried his face into the hair on the top of her head. "In a minute," He muttered.

She sighed and stayed still. It was always better to just let Knives do what he wanted at his pace rather than rushing him. He released her and stepped back. "Thank you," she said softly. She finished putting things away and returned to the soup with a frown on her face. He was watching every move and it made her uncomfortable… Like a rabbit being hunted by a fox.

* * *

There was a knock on the bathroom door and Meryl groaned. "Who is it," she snapped. She was trying to relax and didn't want to be interrupted. She frowned even more when she heard the door open. She peeked out from behind the curtain and gasped. "Vash?" Her whole face started to heat up.

"Want some company," He asked cheerfully.

She quickly closed the curtain and reminded herself to breathe. "A-Alright," She muttered. She listened to his clothes fall to the floor. One article of clothing at a time. She was trying to calm herself and it just wasn't working. She'd seen him naked, he'd seen her naked. They had made love before. This shouldn't make her so nervous. Maybe it was because of the fact they were in the bathroom with everyone awake.

Meryl's inner battle for control was disturbed when she heard the curtain open and close and felt two strong arms around her, the left one being mostly mechanical and the other scarred beyond healing. Meryl's heart rate slowed enough for her to think and she traced her fingers against a few of the scars sending a shiver down Vash's spine. He still was very shy about being so exposed. "Rough day," he asked casually.

"No more than usual. Do you ever feel like two housewives is too many," Meryl asked softly.

"Nah. Kiva helps Milly out a whole lot. They're really close and good for each other. After Wolfwood died, you remember how broken Milly was. It's nice that she can smile that carefree smile again. I don't know if, in her shoes, I would be able to smile if my daughter looked like my dead boyfriend."

"Yeah. I don't think all of that is Kiva though," Meryl said as she carefully leaned back against Vash's chest. She had to be careful not to push against the metal cage over his left pectoral.

"Of course not but she doesn't hurt either. She's able to help Milly stay sane when we aren't here. There's sometimes Nichole just won't sleep. Not to mention Knives likes her."

"Why does Knives like her anyway," Meryl looked up over her shoulder at him.

"I guess because, like you and Milly, she is one of the best humans out there. I think he's probably searching for some flaw in her. I mean, she has many of them but none that he hoped for. I think he's falling for her and doesn't even know it. Right now he's thinking he can corrupt her but it's more than that. Before I came in here I caught sight of the two of them in the kitchen. She looked uncomfortable but he was holding her and had his face in her hair."

Meryl nodded and sighed softly. "I guess that all makes sense. I don't think she feels the same way. I mean, she knows how horrible he is. She knows how much pain he's caused you and every person he's come across. I don't think anyone who knows Knives could love him."

"I love him," Vash countered.

"He's your brother, that's different. The way we love each other isn't the same as the way you love Knives or I love Milly," Meryl sighed.

"Yeah," Vash said. He leaned his head down and kissed her softly. The kiss didn't last long and when he pulled back a little he whispered, "I'd never want to do to Knives the things I want to do to you." Meryl blushed and his lips came crashing down on hers.

* * *

Everyone was asleep except for Kiva. She had started sharing a bed with Knives while Vash slept in the bed across the room. Kiva chewed on her bottom lip while she waited to heart Knives snore. He snored a few times then turned his back to her and she let out a sigh of relief. She slid from her bed and gently pulled open the drawer to her nightstand. She grabbed the pill bottle she kept hidden behind some books. She froze for a few seconds to make sure neither of the brothers had woken up. She sneaked out of the room as quietly as she could.

She breathed another sigh of relief after she had stood perfectly still for a few minutes and nothing happened. She tip toed into the kitchen and placed the bottle on the counter. This was becoming so much trouble, doing this every day. She grabbed a clear glass from a cabinet as silently as she could and filled it with water. Kiva sat it on the counter and reached for the pill bottle. She felt like she was in the clear until two familiar arms wrap around her. One was around her waist but the other was across her shoulders, locking her against his chest. "What are you doing," Knives hissed.

"Taking my medicine if you would let go of me," She snapped back in a hushed tone.

Knives kept the arm around her waist where it was but released her shoulders. He grabbed the bottle and looked at it then practically growled. "What's this," He asked, his voice laced with venom.

"Birth control," Kiva answered weakly.

Knives released her and pushed her away. She fell to the floor on her hands and knees with a loud **THUMP~**. She turned over to get up just in time to see Knives pouring the bottle's contents down the drain. She sucked in a deep breath and scurried to her feet. "What are you doing," She gasped and tried to grab the bottle from him to save any of the medication that might be left. He grabbed her wrist and she inhaled sharply.

He threw the empty bottle into the trashcan and glared at Kiva. "You are mine. You have had me thinking there was something wrong with me. This whole time it was you," He spat.

Kiva took a staggered deep breath to fight back tears. He was holding her wrist so tightly she was sure she would bruise. That pain was nothing compared to the ache in her heart. Milly was wrong. He hated her. She was doing her best not to let the tears fall. "What are you talking about," Kiva whimpered with her gaze on the ground.

Knives grabbed a fist full of Kiva's black hair with his free hand and pulled it to make her look at him. "You are going to give me a child," he responded, as if that answered everything.

"No," Kiva retorted as she tried to pull from his grasp.

He just pulled her hair and squeezed her wrist harder. "You will," he snarled.

"You don't even love me! Why would I want a baby with you? You say humans are terrible creatures but… but you're far worse," She shouted. Knives stared at her shocked.

Vash had Knives tackled to the ground before Knives could recover from the shock of Kiva shouting at him. Vash punched Knives so hard with his mechanical arm that Knives was knocked out. Kiva fell to the ground in the commotion and was sitting with her knees up to her chest crying against them. "I'm going to take him to bed," Vash muttered to Meryl who was standing in the doorway. He hoisted Knives over his shoulder none too gently and Meryl stepped into the kitchen.

She knelt beside Kiva and cautiously put her hands on Kiva's shoulders to get her to stop rocking. Kiva flinched at the contact and her head lifted. "It's okay now," Meryl said gently.

"I-I… Oh Meryl," Kiva sobbed as she threw her arms around her friend's shoulders.

"Shhh, it's okay," Meryl said as she rubbed Kiva's back.

* * *

**Ren Note:** so here we are... Another update so soon? Yes! I actually did. I'm flowing a littttttttle bit better but not really. I'm not sure when the next chapter will be posted... but I want to know what everyone thinks! Review for me? Also... a serious note... Domestic abuse (any abuse really) is no joke. Knives needs his ass kicked *nod nod*


	7. Chapter 7: Amends

**Chapter Seven:**

Kiva slept curled up against Milly with her arm around her friend's waist. She hadn't slept in Knives' bed since the night he put his hands on her. It had been a week and she still hadn't talked to him. She avoided him really and Vash was back to guarding him like a dog. It didn't matter much to Knives; he sunk into a state of depression where he went through the motions of living but he felt a strange emptiness in his bed and his heart that he never imagined he could feel.

Nichole started to whimper and Kiva opened an eye. Milly and Meryl both continued sleeping. She would have slept through the soft whine too if she weren't half awake anyway. She slipped from Milly's bed careful not to wake her and walked over to the crib. Nichole's blue eyes had tears in them and it was like watching a bomb about to go off. Kiva swept the baby up into her arms and walked out of the room silently.

"Shhh its okay," Kiva whispered as she gently bounced Nichole. She opened her mouth and turned her head sideways in a quick movement then straightened up after her yawn had finished. She let a few tears fall but didn't cry out. "It's okay, we'll get you something to eat okay?" Kiva walked into the kitchen and froze. Knives was standing with his back to her staring out the window at the slowly ascending sun. Nichole started to cry and snapped Kiva out of her daze. Her heart was racing and she took a step back.

Knives turned to look at the two of them but it was like he was looking right through Kiva and Nichole. Kiva bounced Nichole and told her, "It'll be okay," over and over, mostly for herself, while forcing herself to enter the kitchen to make a bottle. She almost had the bottle made when she dropped the ring to hold the nipple in place on the floor, she could feel Knives' eyes on her. Nichole started crying more as soon as Kiva started to kneel down to pick it up. Knives swooped down and picked it up then handed it to her. "Thanks," she mumbled as she took it, it was said strictly out of habit. Their hands brushed and her heart skipped a beat.

While Kiva rinsed the ring off Knives rubbed his fingers through Nichole's dark hair slowly, calming her enough that she wouldn't wake the whole house. Kiva was getting pretty good at making a bottle one handed so it was ready in no time. She held the bottle to the infant and as soon as she latched on Kiva started walking towards the living room. "Kiva wait," Knives called out quietly. She didn't know why she stopped. She knew full well she shouldn't have. She turned to look at him with blank pale gray eyes, her full lips pressed into a tight line. "I'm sorry," He muttered so lowly she had almost missed it.

It took a lot for him to say it but it didn't change the fact that he had been trying to use her and had hurt her. "Sorry doesn't fix this," Kiva mumbled as she pointed to him and then herself.

"I know," Knives sighed in defeat. What could he say? His anger had gotten the better of him and knowing she didn't want him caused him to snap. He ran his fingers through his light blond hair. Sure he wasn't the nicest guy in the world and she probably deserved better. Before he wanted to use her to hurt Vash, now he realized he had only ended up hurting himself. "What can I do to make it right," He asked unsure of himself.

Kiva's face twisted into a scowl. "Make it right? How could you possibly make it right? You use and abuse me and expect to be able to make it right? What, was I a plan to destroy Vash in some twisted way? Is that it? Now that your plan is falling apart you're trying to glue it back together? I will never, ever be with someone who doesn't love me like I love him. I'm not some puppet you can just pull strings and control. You always say humans are lesser creatures because we feel superior. I certainly don't feel superior. When most animals mate they don't abuse each other. We are far less superior that them, yourself included in that!" Nichole whimpered when Kiva raised her voice and she looked down at the baby. "I'm sorry," she whispered to the girl.

"It was like that, you're… right, but I'm not trying to glue that plan back together alright? I don't care about it anymore," Knives said. He replayed her words in his head over and other until something stuck out. _"I will never, ever be with someone who doesn't love me like I love him." _Did that mean she loved him? "Do you love me," He asked, finding himself afraid of the answer. He shifted his footing and stared at her intently.

Kiva bit her bottom lip and sucked in air sharply. She hadn't even realize what she had said. She could lie but what good would that do? She was already pouring herself into the exhausting conversation as it was. What did she have to lose at this point? "Do you really think," she smiled sadly, "That I would follow you and Vash so far from home if I didn't? I wanted to make sure you wouldn't go crazy putting up with Vash. I know how much he gets under your skin and thought maybe, because I do love you, that… That I could maybe make it better for you. You proved me very wrong."

Knives suddenly found it hard to breathe. It made sense. She had put up with his cruel comments, followed them all the way here, and allowed him to take her virginity (never mind that he had given her his as well)… Who would do all of that without being in love? Knives suddenly realized just how selfish he had been. She had been trying her best to love him and show him that not all humans are the same. He had really messed up. "I suppose that makes sense," he muttered. He thought maybe, just maybe, he loved her too but that thought frightened him. Love was a weakness. He stared down at the little baby within her arms. Love had made that individual and as much as he wanted to hate the helpless creature, he found that he could not. He wished to have one of those helpless beings. Perhaps he should try to love her or at least allow himself to admit that he did.

Kiva wanted to say something, anything. Anything to see if he felt _something_ for her but she was afraid that he didn't. That would be both easier and harder on her. It'd be easy to leave if she meant nothing but so hard to mend her heart. She took a deep breath and stared down at Nichole. She had wanted as many babies as the world would allow her to have… That all felt like such a distant dream. What man wanted a woman who wasn't a virgin? None worth being with she supposed. She had given Knives too much and asked for too much back. How could someone like him ever love someone like her? What had she been thinking?

"I… I care for you too," he murmured. She didn't know if she could believe that. What he said and did were two different things. She looked up at Knives and thought she saw sincerity and humility in his eyes. He was more human-like than he cared to ever admit, she knew that. She didn't want to believe him but the ice that had been forming around her heart to guard herself from him began to crack and melt away. What could she possibly do? He studied her features which were twisted with confusion and a small flicker of hope. "Please don't leave me," he begged. He was _not _one to beg or plea. He did whatever he wanted and took whatever that happened to be. He felt the need to plea, to get her to stay with him because she wanted to. He could force her but that wouldn't help anything at all. One thing he knew though was that life without her felt meaningless now. How had he ever lived without her?

"Okay," she whimpered, "Don't make me regret this." She was nearly in tears. How had her resolve faded so quickly? She heard Nichole sucking air and she immediately looked down. The bottle was empty. Had they been at this for that long? She pulled the bottle out of the baby's mouth and Knives took it from her. She put Nichole up to her shoulder and started patting her back, the whole time her eyes on Knives. He washed the bottle, much to her surprise. He had never done any chores around the house. Maybe he would make the effort, maybe things would be different.

* * *

Meryl stretched and got out of bed. She yawned and looked over at Milly's bed. Milly was there but Kiva wasn't. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and yawned again. It was too early! She peeked into Nichole's crib and noticed that the baby wasn't there. She smiled slightly. Yes she had a difficult time dealing with the double questions and yes she hated feeling like she had two housewives, but she was thankful to have them both in her life. Kiva had gotten Nichole before she woke anyone else up. That meant more to Meryl than she could ever express. She had slept the whole night in uninterrupted bliss.

She stalked her way out of the bedroom, not feeling fully awake yet, and made her way to the bathroom to relieve herself. She splashed cold water on her face and then left the bathroom. She needed coffee. She headed towards the kitchen but stopped. On the couch in the living room laid Knives with Kiva on top of him and Nichole on top of her. If she didn't know better they'd look like the perfect family. Nichole was drooling all over Kiva's nightgown, Kiva had a small smile on her face, and Knives actually looked at peace. Meryl silently walked up to them and picked up Nichole, careful not to brush her hand against Kiva's breasts. Kiva stirred slightly which made Knives grunt faintly but then the two fell back into a deep sleep. Nichole hadn't woken the slightest though she did smile. _"Must be having a good dream,"_ Meryl thought as she took her back to her crib.

The remaining hour of Meryl's 'her time' was quiet. She read the morning paper, ate breakfast, and enjoyed three cups of coffee. She mused that if Wolfwood were here he would've joined her with a cigarette in his mouth. She missed her friend's lover, her lover's best friend. She knew Milly missed him too. _"Smoking is bad for the baby,"_ she would scold him and take his cigarette away. Meryl would give anything to see the two of them banter like that again. A sad smile fell on her lips. They hadn't even been able to bury the man. It felt so wrong on so many levels. That didn't change that Nicholas the Punisher was gone though. They would never be blessed with the priest's sarcasm again.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Vash sulked into the kitchen. Every bone in his body seemed to pop as he stretched himself out. Meryl winced, it sounded painful, but Vash let out a content sigh as he flopped down in the chair next to her. "Sooo," Vash said through a yawn, "What's new in the world today? Anything interesting?" His voice was lined with sleepiness and it took everything in her not to yawn along with him.

"Nothing really. The winner of the gun tournament was disqualified after they investigated his revolver. The second place shooter is now first place. The weather is going to stay the same, the mayor is throwing a party for some rich snobs who are visiting, and the plant in September is up and running again. All seems to be going well all over Gunsmoke."

Vash nodded and placed his head on the table. "That's great to hear," he said with another yawn. She pushed her cup of coffee towards him. "Thanks," he muttered as he sat up enough to take a drink. Meryl stood and walked over to the cabinets above the sink. "Hey do we have any-," He didn't get to finish what he was saying because Meryl placed a box of donuts in front of him. "You're the best," he said as he threw open the box, life finally entering his sleepy green eyes. "I think I'll keep you forever," he mused sleepily aloud.

"What was that," Meryl asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I said I'll keep you," he replied with a sly grin, "Make you my wife and have lots of babies with you."

Meryl blushed. She wanted nothing more but just couldn't bring herself to say that. She considered picking a fight to avoid the subject all together but decided not to. Why deny herself what she wanted? "Okay," she whispered.

He had almost missed it so to be sure he heard right he asked, "What'd you say?"

"I said I'll marry you," She muttered.

Vash grinned from ear to ear. This wasn't the proposal he had been planning but she said yes and that was perfect. Everything was perfect… Well… Everything except the fact that his no-good brother was now asleep on the couch with the woman he had just caused bodily harm to a week ago. That was a problem he didn't want to deal with right now. Instead he decided to just pretend everything was perfect, at least for the next 10 minutes.

* * *

**Ren Note:** So I've posted updates for this much closer together. I'm not sure I'll be continuing this way... but I'll see what I can do. I still feel like all of this is far too short and a bad example of my writing skills. They've improved greatly since I started writing this but I'm trying to keep the chapter lengths similar. I almost had this whole chapter about Knives and Kiva but knew that I wanted to put some Vash &amp; Meryl fluff in... even if it was the bare minimum. If any of you are Naruto fans I'd love to see your reviews on my story All or Nothing. I'm also working on a One Shot involving Neji Hyuga and Ren Hyuga/Hyogo (my OC). It's a work and progress and not posted yet. That makes 3 'active' stories right now. I'm not 100% sure that the Neji one would count as an active story since it's simply a word document on my computer that I'm trying to pour my ideas into. We'll see where that goes. Is there anything that you, my lovelies, would like to see happen in this fic? I'm worried that Knives is kind of out of character :\ I'm not going to defend myself really for that if any of you agree. In truth love makes people act out of character all on their own, though. This story is supposed to be about his development into a better person, his relationship with Kiva is a big part of that.


End file.
